Stochastic processes in the brain's neural network and their impact on perception and decision-making

The article deals with the influence of stochastic dynamics of the brain's neural ensembles on the perception and processing of sensory information, as well as on decision-making based on it. The review considers sources of noise in the nervous system during sensory information processing, as well as some nervous system strategies of compensating for or taking into account stochastic processes. Experiments and mathemat„ical models are discussed in which stochastic brain dynamics begins to play a significant role in the perception of sensory information. Particular attention is paid to brain noise research paradigms such as the perception of weak stimuli close to the sensitivity threshold and bistable ambiguous stimuli. Methods for assessing brain noise using both psychophysical experiments and direct analysis of neuroimaging data are described. Finally, some issues in applying the concept of stochastic brain dynamics to problems in the biomedical diagnosis of various neurological diseases are considered.